It’s hard to imagine a world in which Lisa Kudrow plays anyone other than Phoebe Buffay on Friends. The Emmy winner arguably made the "weird" character endearing and someone viewers would want to pal around with. Kudrow has frequently spoken about her love for Phoebe, so much so that I’m shocked to learn that she initially wanted to play a different friend. Apparently, the actress was eyeing the role of Rachel Green and was trying her hardest to get the part.Kudrow -- who's been candid about how representatives would refer to her as “the sixth friend” -- recently spoke with THR. During that chat, Kudrow recalled learning of the Rachel role and, based on her comments, she was quite enthusiastic about it:Idiot that I am, I went, ‘Oh, but you know what? I got to say, Rachel is Jewish. And boy, I love doing a Jewish American Princess. I think I could make that really funny.’ Not even clocking that, ‘Oh no, this is the romantic lead to Ross.’ Right?Of course, that part ultimately went to Jennifer Aniston, who proceeded to nail it (and become a pop culture icon in the process). Still, I can't help but wonder what Kudrow's version of Rachel would've looked like. Kudrow went on to mention how her reps responded when she expressed interest in playing Green:I told my agents, ‘I can do Jewish American Princess and make that really funny.’ And so they said, ‘Uh-huh. All right. Well, we’ll tell them [the show’s creators].’ They [later] went, ‘No, no. It’s so hard for them to find Phoebe. They’re not messing with that.’ So that was the sweet way of saying, ‘Yeah, you are not the romantic interest.'While I disagree with the reason she wasn’t right for the role, I do believe no one else could have made Phoebe the icon that she began. Kudrow also opens up in that interview about how at this time, she didn’t look like the women getting leading roles. To the point that she was even told “you’re not gorgeous.” However, the actress seemingly didn't let that discourage her in the long run.More on Lisa KudrowI’m Here For Lisa Kudrow’s Take On Why She Never Shies Away From Talking About FriendsAlso, while Phoebe may not have been the “romantic interest” in the will they-won’t they drama, she did get a fairytale ending with Mike (played by Paul Rudd). He and Buffay married in a snowy wedding during Season 10, and it's arguably one of the show’s best (and most romantic) moments. Today, Kudrow still has a considerable amount of love for Friends. On that note, she’s even found herself finally watching it (which may delight Aniston who was previously surprised she hadn't). The No Good Deed star does as a way to celebrate late co-star Matthew Perry, who died in 2023. Of course, the NBC show is only one part of Kudrow's body of work, as she's also known for The Comeback, for which she adds a considerable amount of magic to the role of Valerie Cherish. At present, she's also set to reprise her role in the Romy and Michele sequel.I'd say that as far as Friends goes, though, everything worked out well for both Kudrow and Aniston as well as their co-stars. Still, I'll continue to be curious about what Kudrow would've done in the role of "princess" Rachel Green. Stream all 10 seasons of Friends with an HBO Max subscription. And definitely treat yourself to some of the more ridiculous episodes (some of which involve Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe).